Harry Potter: The Birth of a Warrior
by manicpixienightmare
Summary: One thing was clear. Voldemort was back, and the Dark Lord wouldn't rest without ending the life of his sworn arch-enemy, Harry Potter. Harry wasn't going to make it easy for him. A retelling of Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts. Grey!Harry Smart!Harry (slow progression)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Tonks was bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.

It had been five hours since she had took up her shift for the day, and she was yet to see something more interesting than a caterpillar crawling up a brick wall. Clad in comfy muggle attire, paired with dragonhide boots and a disillusionment charm, she leaned against a lamppost at the corner of the deserted street, absently chewing a piece of gum and causing her fingernails to shift colours at a rapid rate.

Time seemed to warp here, in this neighborhood that reeked of privilege and nosy neighbours, ebbing and swirling and curdling without a twinge of remorse for the young woman stuck on guard duty. It was Nympadora Tonks' turn to watch over young Harry Potter, and for the hundredth time, she wondered why she couldn't just reveal herself to the young lad and kip out in his room, sipping on some ice cold lemonade.

As she tried to distract herself with thoughts of an immersive ice water bath and a refreshing drink, the sounds of raucous laughter and thrilled shouts made their way over to where she was standing.

She recognized the group of boys walking in her direction as Dudley Dursley and his band of sidekicks. She didn't know much about Harry's cousin, except that he would occasionally taunt Harry and throw jibes at him. Dumbledore had shrugged this off as normal cousin rivalry and boy behaviour, so she'd shrugged off her apprehension and paid no further heed to it.

Tonks flattened herself against the lamppost as the boys passed close by her, and waiting with bated breath for them to round the corner. It wouldn't do for them to bump into an invisible person after all.

So caught up was she in keeping herself hidden, that she almost missed the thin frame of Harry Potter slip out of the front door and make his way over to the shed. Giving herself a mental prod and hoping to Morgana that things would pick up, she crept towards the shed, being ever so careful not to trip over her own feet and give away her position.

Standing on her tiptoes, she peeked through the small window of the shed, to see what her young charge was up to. She found him bent over a small contraption that she could make neither heads nor tails of, and figured it was probably one of those weird instruments that Muggles seemed to be so fond of. Letting out a deep sigh, she settled herself down in a shady area and waited for Harry to emerge again, counting down the days for when he would soon be sheltered in Headquarters, and she would be off this darn guard duty.

* * *

Harry Potter made his way over to the shed that occupied the corner of the Dursleys' garden. Despite how particular his aunt was about maintaining the best lawn and garden patch in the locality, she hadn't stepped foot in the shed more than four times, as far as Harry could remember. That worked out perfectly for him.

He trudged down the path with his head down and ears perked up, the hair on the back of his neck standing up, probing for any sign of magical energy around the area.

Harry knew he was being watched. He'd been observing the shimmer in the air that seemed to always linger around Number 4, Privet Drive, easily mistaken by Muggles as a sign of heat in the air, but Harry knew better. The shimmer was too solid, too consistent to be heat haze, and his constant observance of the phenomenon had paid off. The sound of a car backfiring one night and the sudden appearance of a mangy shoe when he'd been looking out his room window sealed the deal. He was sure there was someone under a disillusionment charm standing outside his house, day and night. Probably a group of someones taking turns, judging by the way it occurred round the clock. Harry also realised that magic could be sensed, like a slow, thrumming buzz of electricity. It came as a bit of a surprise to him as the amount of magical activity at Hogwarts should have sent his senses on overdrive at this rate. He filed it away as a question to ask Hermione later on.

As he entered the shed, Harry wondered whether it was friend or foe watching him. His scar had been twinging a lot lately, but nothing to worry about when he stepped outside near the magical presence. Whoever they were, they didn't seem to want to do anything apart from watch him, as well. It was most likely people designated by Dumbledore, Harry mused with an inward sigh. Still, it was better not to let his summer plans get uncovered.

Making his way to his work corner, Harry pulled out the bit of equipment he was tinkering with. He had managed to scrounge a couple of walkie-talkies from Dudley's room, which seemed to be in working condition for the most part, except for a few loose wires that needed connecting. With his brow furrowed in concentration and gritted teeth, he went about winding the ends of the wires together, hoping it was the right way to fix them. He made sure his back was to the window so that anyone looking in wouldn't be able to see exactly what was going on.

Twenty minutes later, the two walkie talkies were crackling with static. Harry turned them off and slipped them into the baggy pockets of his cargo pants, an advantage of wearing Dudley's oversized hand-me-downs, and made his way back to his room for the finishing touches.

He drew the curtains shut and pulled out the walkie-talkies, turning them over in his hands, pleased with the first phase of his plan.

"Dobby," he called out softly.

A little elf with bat-like ears and orbs for eyes appeared, dressed in a clean blue tea-cosy with the Hogwarts crest stitched on it.

"Master Harry Potter has summoned Dobby," said the elf, bowing low. "Dobby is so honoured that the great Harry Potter who fought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named yet again has called upon Dobby for help. What can Dobby do for Harry Potter sir?"

"First off, Dobby," said Harry, rubbing his eyes wearily, "Please just call me Harry. Or Harry Potter. None of this _Master_ business, you're a free elf."

"But Dobby would be honoured to serve Ma... Harry Potter sir, if only he would let him," replied the elf excitedly.

"Well Dobby, I do need your help." Harry placed the walkies on the table.

"You see these? They're called walkie-talkies. Muggles use them to talk to each other," Harry explained. "You turn this knob on the side to change the frequency and make sure both the handsets are set to the same channel. Then if you press on this button and talk into it, I can hear your voice from my walkie-talkie, and reply in the same way."

Dobby's eyes became even rounder, if that was even possible, as he took in the Muggle contraption that seemed to work like magic.

"What is Dobby doing to help, Harry Potter sir?"

"You know how magic interferes with Muggle devices?"

Dobby nodded frantically.

"A problem with these is not only do they stop working if they're around too much magic, but they also don't work over really long distances. It helps if the two people are within the same neighbourhood, but I need it to work for farther ranges than that."

"Harry Potter sir wants to talk to his friends Wheezy and Grangy!" Dobby squeaked excitedly. "Dobby can help with that. House elf magic is not like wizard magic, we is being able to help our masters out by doing things they can't!"

"That's excellent, Dobby! But I need you to make sure this is a secret. You can't tell anyone, not even Dumbledore, is that clear?"

"Dobby is swearing he will not tell anyone Harry Potter's secrets. Dobby may be a Hogwarts elf but he is still free and his loyalties lie with Master Harry Potter sir, the one who freed Dobby and will free all other house elves from the darkness!" Dobby's voice rose in volume as he became more and more excited and imbued with energy from his own words.

"Keep your voice down, Dobby," Harry hissed, listening carefully for any signs that the Dursleys might have heard. "And what did I say about calling me Master?"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter sir. Dobby will work on these walkie thingies in silence now."

"Thanks Dobby. I'm also going to need you to take one of the handsets to Hermione and Ron along with a letter, once you're done," said Harry, feeling a little calmer now that things were falling into place.

He quickly penned a letter to his best friends, explaining the situation, and asking them to contact him immediately. As Dobby popped away with the fixed handsets, he lay back down on his bed, feeling at peace for the first time in months.

* * *

 **Number 12, Grimmauld Place**

"Why can't the bloody house elf get all this stuff? I mean, isn't he bound to serve the house and keep it clean?" Ron grumbled as he made his way up the stairs of Number 12, Grimmauld Place.

"At least it's keeping us busy, Ron. I think I'd go mad if I was stuck indoors with nothing to do," Hermione replied. "I do hope they make us get the library soon though. Sirius hasn't let me step inside ever since we reached."

"Do you have a death wish or something? Half the books in there would bite off your fingers, and the rest are probably worse."

Hermione pursed her lips, not having a suitable response to Ron's surprisingly logical statement.

"I'll see you at dinnertime," she said, starting to climb up to the next landing as Ron opened his room door.

"Um... Hermione, you better come in here for a moment."

Hermione entered her red-headed friend's room, her eyes turning into wide saucers as she got a glimpse of the house-elf standing in a corner.

"DOBB..." Her voice was muffled by a hand placed over her mouth.

"Seriously Hermione? Don't let the entire house know."

"But..." she let out an exasperated sigh and turned to their unexpected visitor. "Hi Dobby, what brings you here? How's working at Hogwarts?"

"Dobby has been good, kind mistress. Dobby comes to Harry Potter sir's Wheezy and Grangy with a message," replied the elf, pointing to the objects lying on the table next to him.

"A walkie talkie? What's all this about?" Hermione wondered as she slit open the envelope next to it and read the letter out aloud.

 _Dear Hermione and Ron,_

 _How have you two been? It's been pretty much the same at the Dursley's, except for the continuous boredom, now that I can't expect much from your letters. And Hermione, before you lose your head over this, don't worry. I gathered from your previous letters that there's not much either of you can tell me about where you are or what you're doing. I just hope it's a sight better than what I've had to deal with. At least you two are together, not that I hold any of that against you._

 _I recently figured out that I'm being followed or watched by people. I'm guessing either Dumbledore or old Voldy have something to do with this, although nothing out of the ordinary has happened yet and I'm lying low for the most bit. I sent this letter along with Dobby so that we can communicate freely without having to be careful about what we tell each other._

 _While I've been keeping out of the way for the most part, it doesn't mean I haven't been up to something all this time. I managed to get Dobby to sneak some of my school textbooks into my room as well, and I'm planning on revising all our material from the past few years. I know I have to prepared, now more than ever, since Voldemort is back and the Ministry keeps denying it._

 _That's the extent of my knowledge on the outside world, however, since you two didn't tell me much more in any of your letters. But I hope that's about to change. Dobby would have brought a walkie-talkie along with him, which we've enchanted to work around magic and across long distances. And before you ask, Hermione, Dobby did most of the enchanting so I'm not sure how exactly it works, you'd have to pick his brain to learn anything more. I just know it's elf magic._

 _Anyway, it's not going to be functional for the whole summer, but hopefully I'll be able to join you both soon, wherever you are. Tune into channel 7 to talk to me till then, but please keep it a secret._

 _P.S. I've named the pair of handsets "Magicomms."_

 _Stay safe,_

 _Harry._

Ron let out a low whistle. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about him being mad at us. See if it works, Hermione."

"Dobby will be going back to the Hogwarts kitchen now, Master and Mistress," said Dobby, bowing low.

"Yes Dobby. And thank you for doing this," Hermione replied.

With one last bow, the elf vanished.

Hermione twiddled around the dial on the Magicomm handset to channel 7 and turned to look at Ron.

"Make sure the door's locked, Ron," she said, as she pushed down on the transmit button and spoke into the handset.

"Harry? Harry, are you there?"

For a few long seconds, all they could hear was crackling static, before Harry's low voice was emitted from the device.

"Hermione? Is that you? I can't believe this actually works! Is Ron there with you?"

"Hey mate, Dobby just dropped this off. It's bloody brilliant!" said Ron.

"I'm not sure how long this connection will last," replied Harry. "It's too much magic for the receivers to handle so we'll have to make it quick every time."

"It's an amazing idea though, Harry. Where did you get the walkie-talkies from?" asked Hermione.

"Nicked them from Dudley's room. He has loads of stuff in there, I don't think he'll ever realise this is missing."

"How are you, Harry? I'm so sorry about the vague letters I had to write you. It's Dumbledore. He told us not to say anything beyond small talk in our letters and we didn't know how to get through to you otherwise," said Hermione, frantically.

"Don't worry, Hermione, I figured it was something of the sort. Is he the one having me followed?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks at that.

"Yeah. We don't know what he's trying to do, but from what we managed to hear - "

"Eavesdrop," entered Hermione.

"- we figured it's some kind of a security rotation," Ron finished.

"If it's for my safety, why couldn't he just tell me? Why can't those people reveal themselves? What's Dumbledore playing at?" Harry's voice was filled with subdued outrage.

"We're not sure, mate. We aren't exactly allowed in all the important conversations that take place here," said Ron.

"Where's here, exactly?"

"It's a house that's under the Fidelius. It's being used as the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organisation that works towards taking down You-Know-Who and his death eaters. We can't tell you the name of the place or the location, but from what we gathered, someone should be sent to you soon to bring you here," Hermione explained. "All the Weasleys are here, as are Sirius, Professor Lupin, and a lot more members of the Order who come and go during meetings."

"So I'm guessing neither of you know what they're doing to take down Voldemort?"

"Not a clue. Fred and George came up with this cool creation called Extendable Ears which let's you listen in on conversations. But we weren't able to hear much beyond You-Know-Who gathering up his followers," Ron said. "Mum found out we were listening and put an imperturbable charm on the door a few days ago."

Harry sighed.

"So what are you guys doing if you're not allowed in the meetings?"

"Mostly cleaning," replied Ron. "This house is an absolute mess and Mum's got us cleaning every inch of it."

Harry let out a low, sullen laugh.

"Thanks for talking to me, you both, and keeping this a secret. I just... I think I'll go mad if I'm stuck here for the whole summer without any company."

"We'll get you out of there soon, Harry, just hang on," said Hermione. "Oh! And your letter said you've started revising everything we've learnt. That's great! What are you going through? Have you finished all the summer assignments?"

"I'm mostly practicing all the incantations and the wand motions for Defense, Charms, and Transfiguration. Trying to get through some Potions theory. I haven't made too much headway on the assignments though, still stuck on the essay Snape has given us," said Harry.

"Ron, you should do what Harry's doing and brush up on spells," Hermione said, turning to her gangly friend.

"Ah hell, Hermione. It's bad enough that we have summer homework without extra revision."

Hermione huffed and gave him a stern look.

"Um... guys, I have to go. Aunt Petunia just called me downstairs. Also, don't initiate conversation until I do, in case I'm around Muggles," said Harry's crackling voice from the radio.

"Alright mate. We'll get you out of there soon, I promise."

"Take care, Harry! And keep sending letters so we can keep up appearances!"

With a final farewell, the radio signal went off. Ron and Hermione looked at each other in silence, processing the events of the evening.

"I guess I should go shower. Do you mind if I take the Magicomm with me, Ron? I want to figure out how Dobby got it to work."

"Sure, just don't break it." Ron shrugged. "Think we should tell Sirius?"

"Not yet. It's going to be harder to keep it a secret if too many people know. I say we ask Harry next time we talk to him," reasoned Hermione.

"Okay. Now go. I want to get this stench off me before dinner."

* * *

A/N: And that's it for the first chapter of The Birth of a Warrior! If any of you have constructive feedback, do let me know. It's been over a year since I last wrote fanfiction (on a different site) and I'm a bit rusty now. Plus all the chapters are being posted as soon as I'm done, without a beta going over them, so apologies for any errors.

I hope to get the next chapter out within a week, so keep an eye out for updates. :)

Cookies and special mentions for everyone who reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

**Number 4, Privet Drive**

It was nearing midnight and the streets of Privet Drive lay under a blanket of serenity, freshly manicured lawns lying in a deep sleep, and shadows as still as death. A dim glow from a reading lamp illuminated the corner of the smallest bedroom of house number 4, where half-filled sheets of parchment lay amidst heavy tomes that now served as hard pillows for a muttering and twitching young lad of almost-fifteen.

"No... Cedric..."

It was the same recurring nightmare that had been plaguing his sleep ever since Harry had witnessed Voldemort's return, and the death of Cedric Diggory. A high-pitched voice issuing an order, a flash of green light, rushing rushing... glassy eyes on the ground.

"CEDRIC!"

With a horrified yell, Harry Potter jerked out of sleep, toppling his chair over and lying in a pool of sweat and tears.

A few deep breaths and a shuddering gasp later, Harry sat upright and listened intently for any sound of movement from the Dursley household. The last thing he needed was the beefy face of his Uncle Vernon looming over him in fury. Not only would it mean a week without food and with added chores, but would also put a wrench into all his hard work.

Assured that he hadn't woken anyone, Harry got to his feet and started picking up the notes which had scattered about the room in the wake of his agitation. He had a scroll filled with notes on the uses of various ingredients and the way they reacted with one another to make up the basic composition of useful potions. He'd made some headway into how changes in the stirring pattern or compensations in the ingredients could affect the potency or even the complete functionality of the spell, but he was still a long way from understanding potions at the level that he wanted to. He had to admit, once he got a hang of the way it worked, it was actually quite interesting. Especially without having the bat of the dungeons looming over him.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was a lot easier to get through, however. Harry seemed to have a sort of natural affinity to it; or maybe it was his drive to be better prepared to defend himself when he faced Voldemort again. He had no doubt that the Dark Lord would come after him once again, for the same reason he had targeted Harry on that fateful Halloween night. Harry had ruminated over this for hours at a time while carrying out his chores each day, and the more he thought about it, the more determined he was to get the truth out of Dumbledore at the earliest possible chance he could get. The Headmaster had already alluded to knowing about it, back at the end of Harry's first year at Hogwarts, and there was no reason for him to hide it from Harry any longer.

Shifting his textbooks aside, Harry picked up a manual that Dobby had brought back for him from Diagon Alley. _Magical Careers for the Strong-Willed_ the title read. It outlined a list of career paths from specialised healing to curse breaking and enchanting that consisted of only a handful of people who could call themselves masters in the field. Harry had never really thought of what he'd do after graduating Hogwarts before, provided Voldemort didn't get to him before then, and this manual had been an eye-opener about the various facets of the magical world.

Giving up on getting more sleep that night, Harry pulled out a piece of parchment and quill, and began penning a letter that he had kept putting off for the past few days. Finally certain of the steps he had to take to turn his life around for the better, Harry shoved aside his misgivings, and got to work.

 _ **Dear Professor McGonagall,**_ he wrote.

 ** _I hope this finds you well and enjoying the summer break. The reason I'm writing to you is because I have done some thinking about my current academic position, and have been wondering whether I can change the subjects I'm studying._**

 ** _Over the past two years, I've come to realise that I made the wrong choice in choosing Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, especially with the kind of fields I'm looking to get into once I graduate from Hogwarts. While nothing is set in stone yet, I'm leaning heavily towards learning more about how magic works, and the way different spells and potions are created. Would it be possible for me to study Arithmancy and Ancient Runes instead of Divination and Care of Magical Creatures?_**

 _ **I'm a little worried since it's OWL year, but I'm willing to put in the work required to catch up to the current level for these. What would you suggest, Professor? Looking forward to your advice.**_

 _ **Harry Potter**_

Keeping his quill aside, Harry leaned back and waited for the ink to dry. He figured the letter could have been framed better - Hermione would have probably had a lot more clarity on how to approach this - but he didn't want to tell his friends about this until it was confirmed. He sighed, knowing Ron would throw a fit once he gets to know about this decision.

"Hedwig, could you deliver this to Professor McGonagall to me?" Harry asked softly, caressing the smooth feathers of his companion.

With a low hoot, Hedwig nipped his ear affectionately, took the envelope offered to her in her beak, and flew out into the sky. Harry watched her silhouette fade into the distance, framed by the light of a hundred glistening stars watching over the night, a smile appearing on his face as he felt a bloom of hope for his future at Hogwarts.

* * *

 **Number 12, Grimmauld Place; 8:30 am**

"I don't understand it, Dumbledore! Harry has gone through more than any other person his age. He's witnessed Voldemort's return, fought him off, saw a boy _die,_ and you want to leave him in the dark about it all?"

Sirius Black was pissed off. Even 12 years of utter desolation at the hellhole that's Azkaban hadn't prepared him for the worry and frustration that would come with being in the outside world again. He couldn't help but feel a swirl of conflicting emotions overwhelm him ever since his return, a state that he had trouble coming to terms with, even with the help of a Mind Healer.

After the incident with Peter Pettigrew at the Shrieking Shack, the Wizarding World had been turned upside down. To think that an honourable man had been thrown into Azkaban, left to rot as all his hope and happiness were slowly sucked out of him, and all of this without a trial! Amelia Bones, the Director of Magical Law Enforcement had been outraged when she had learnt the truth, and it was she who had taken up the case like a whirlwind of justice, put the Minister for Magic in his place, gained evidence from Barty Crouch Sr. about his lack of a fair trial, doused Sirius with Veritaserum and made him spill the real truth to the entire Wizengamot, coupled with the clearly untampered memories of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley (Remus Lupin's affliction made the court unwilling to hear his testimony), and after two weeks of vulture-like journalists and sleazy politicians hounding her, had finally won the case in Sirius' favour, declaring him a free man. A warrant had been put out for Peter Pettigrew's arrest, but he'd managed to evade the Aurors and subsequently became instrumental in the Dark Lord's resurrection.

However, there was nothing the Ministry could do to give Sirius back the time he had lost. Time spent withering away in despair, unable to help his godson in any way. Yes, he'd received a hefty sum of galleons as compensation for the time served, but that was the last thing on his mind.

Sirius Black had been thrown from one Wizarding War to another, and was now being treated as an irrational child by the one man who was supposed to be on his, and Harry's, side.

"What are you thinking, Dumbledore? How can you explain this?"

"Sirius, please... You must understand. It's for Harry's own protection. You know I have nothing but his best interests at heart," said Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and self-proclaimed Leader of the Light.

"I've had enough, Albus," Sirius retorted. "To not inform him about the Order is one thing. To delay the process that would have made me his legal guardian? You had no right. And how could you STOP ME FROM TELLING HIM ANYTHING ABOUT IT?"

"Harry has enough to worry about right now, Sirius. And like I told you, I am not against you gaining custody of him. But staying with the Dursleys is the safest option for him for the time being. As for not telling him, do you really want him to worry about this on top of everything else he has to deal with?" asked Dumbledore, looking at Sirius over his crescent moon spectacles. "It will all fall into place in due time, my dear boy. Try to enjoy your newfound freedom for now, Harry will be with us soon enough." He rose to leave before things escalated even further.

Sirius glowered at the Headmaster, and took a calming breath, gathering his thoughts. There was no use blowing up at Dumbledore; it would only lead to further obstacles and even more delays in the guardianship process. He had to do right by Harry, and that meant choosing your battles. He visibly let his shoulders deflate even while his mind ran through other possible avenues of addressing this issue.

"We're not done with this conversation, Albus. You can be sure I'll be bringing this up the next time you come by," stated Sirius, keeping his expression devoid of any emotion.

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you, Sirius. I must return to Hogwarts to oversee the changes in the ward scheme, but some of the Order members should be arriving shortly. Fill them in on the new Ministry guard list when they're here," said Dumbledore. With a final parting nod, he left.

Sirius stood motionless as the front door closed, his mind spinning with questions and desperation. How could he go around Dumbledore, and whom could he approach? Maybe he could make a sneak visit to see Harry before then?

Suddenly, two loud _cracks_ filled the drawing room, interrupting his frantic stream of thought. Sirius jumped and spun around at the sound, his right hand plunging toward his pocket where he kept his wand.

"Alright there, mate?" asked the first twin who'd appeared.

"You gave us quite the scare. We weren't expecting," said the second redhead twin.

"You to raise your voice like that," completed his twin brother.

The first twin, Fred Weasley, tossed a pink, flesh-like item to Sirius, while George Weasley grinned maniacally beside him.

Sirius gave a groan, shaking his head and relaxing his stance.

"You were listening in?" he asked, looking at the Extendable Ear he had caught. "Didn't Molly put up precautions against that?"

"You hear that, Fred?"

"Can't believe my ears, George!"

"A Marauder wondering how - "

"We got around precautions. I never thought - "

"There'd come a day," completed Fred.

"I don't think I can ever get used to you two doing that," said Sirius, before bursting out in a barking laugh, and performing a mock salute. "Padfoot solemnly swears he won't tell Molly a thing."

"That's the spirit!" exclaimed George.

"Knew you had it in you," said Fred, flicking away imaginary tears from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm guessing you came in here because you wanted something? Or was it just to take the mickey out of me?" asked Sirius, dropping down onto a chair nearby.

"Don't sit down just yet," said Fred.

"We come bearing a message," said George.

"For you to go meet two - "

"Very good friends of a certain -"

"Raven-haired -"

"Bespectacled -"

"Smashing young chap!"

"What's this about?" asked Sirius, throwing them a sharp look, as he rose to move upstairs.

"Go on, they'll tell you. Third floor," said Fred.

"We'll be right up," stated George.

Sirius made his way up at a steady, energetic pace, choosing to climb up the stairs rather than apparate (as the twins would prefer to do now that they had their licenses) as it gave him time to compose himself and process everything that had happened that evening. Dumbledore had been quite the pain in the arse, first with his rule that letters sent to Harry couldn't have much more than small talk in them - nothing that could give away even the remotest bit about their location, plans, daily routine, or people involved - followed by his refusal to even get Harry away from the Dursley's, let alone let Sirius go through with the guardianship process. It was bordering on underhanded, with Dumbledore's subtle insinuations to key Ministry personnel that Sirius was still recovering from his time at Azkaban, to the unspoken command that came with holding so many venerable titles as the old man did. There wasn't much Sirius could do to bypass Dumbledore's influence without things getting downright dirty, but he wasn't going to back down. Sirius could assuredly and proudly admit that there was nothing he wouldn't do for his godson's sake, and facing off against Dumbledore was not something that shook his resolve.

Shaking his head to push away his thoughts of the meeting and filled with curiosity, Sirius came to a standstill in front of Hermione's room on the third floor, and rapped on the door thrice.

"Come in," she called out.

Sirius entered to find Hermione and Ron standing in her room, giving each other uncertain looks, and occasionally glancing towards the table. Sensing their hesitation, he closed the door behind him, locked it magically, and added a _Muffliato_ for good measure.

"Don't worry. I've spelled the room so that no one will disturb us or be able to hear what we're saying," assured Sirius. "You can talk to me, whatever it is."

He watched as the two teens looked at each other once more, Ron giving Hermione a positive nod, indicating that she should go ahead.

"We heard you and Professor Dumbledore talking downstairs," she began, nervously.

"Fred and George already revealed that they'd heard everything. I'm not surprised you two were in on it as well," said Sirius with a shrug.

"Ginny heard as well. But she doesn't know that we're talking to you. Fred and George only know because they figured it out and we weren't going to tell anyone else, but after what we heard, we decided it's time to tell you," Hermione rambled, going pink as she inwardly felt ashamed for eavesdropping, but not completely remorseful. "We heard enough to understand that you were trying to gain custody of Harry and bring him here, away from those horrible Muggles, but Professor Dumbledore was not letting you. At first, I didn't want to question the choice of Professor Dumbledore, after all, he's a very powerful and knowledgeable wizard, but as Ron pointed out, there wasn't any reason for him to stop you from doing so. Apart from being his godfather, your house is also under the strongest magical protection possible, not to mention the dozens of additional curses and wards to stop intruders. In fact, I found a book in the library filled with a long list of spells that have been used by the Black family ever since -"

Ron cleared his throat loudly, interrupting Hermione midway and interrupting her mid-spiel before she started reciting the entire book and the Black geneology.

"Um. Well, that's a discussion for another day.," she said.

Sirius kept quiet, overwhelmed by the amount of thought she had put into the situation, especially if she had to admit - _Hermione had to admit -_ that Dumbledore's reasoning didn't make sense. She worshipped authority, that much had been clear to Sirius even from the limited time that he'd known her for, and she'd come a long way to begin rationalising the actions of someone whom she always believed was the greatest wizard alive.

While Sirius pondered over her words, Hermione moved towards the desk in her room, and took out some sort of device from the top drawer.

"Harry has termed this, a Magicomm," she said. "We've been using it to talk to him on and off all through the beginning of summer."

Sirius' eyebrows rocketed towards his hairline.

"Whoa. You're saying... Harry made this?" he asked.

"Well, not exactly. He got a house-elf to enchant a Muggle device called a walkie-talkie to work over longer distances and around magic. We're not sure how long it'll last, and it could get overloaded if there are too many people with magic around it. That's why Fred and George aren't up here with us right now," replied Hermione, matter-of-factly.

"How much does Harry know?" asked Sirius.

"Everything that we do," replied Ron, speaking for the first time that morning, and looking up at Sirius with a hint of defiance in his eyes.

Sirius gave them a wide smile.

"I sure am glad my godson has such wonderful friends," he said, his position instantly causing the air in the room relax as inhibitions lowered in the favour of some reliable adult support. "I am surprised to see you up and about so early in the morning though, Ron."

Ron grumbled something along the lines of "Hermione didn't let me sleep" and trailed off, letting his friend continue with the talking as the tips of his ears turned red.

Sirius smirked, and turned to Hermione to get some of his questions answered.

"How's Harry doing? Are the Dursleys treating him properly? Has he been eating enough?" he rattled off, his primary concern being his godson's well being.

"He's doing pretty well, actually. Ever since your warning, the Dursleys have been treating him as close to normal as they possibly could. I mean, they're not going to be having conversations around the dinner table any time soon, but they haven't given him undue trouble - at least, that's what Harry has told me," Hermione replied. "He tends to have a few chores in the first half of the day but is pretty much free after lunch. They were still adamant about not letting him take his school things, but Dobby helped him out with that."

Sirius nodded, his mind made up to visit Harry at the earliest, Dumbledore be damned.

"Harry's actually made good progress on his summer homework and said he's been working his way through our textbooks from the previous years to brush up on all his spells and theory." Hermione's beamed as she informed Sirius about Harry's dedication to studying this summer, while Ron mumbled under his breath and shot her dark looks.

"What does he know about the Order?" Sirius asked her, feeling a lot lighter now that he knew there was no immediate cause for him to worry about Harry.

"He knows it's a secret group of people who are against You-Know-Who and are trying to prevent him from rising to power," Ron answered him. "We told him the Order's trying to get the giants and werewolves on our side before You-Know-Who gets to them."

"He also knows he's being watched," stated Hermione. "He figured it out himself, but didn't know who it was. We told him it was Professor Dumbledore's doing, and he's got different members of the Order on rotation, guarding him. He did ask whether you were one of them, Sirius."

Sirius let out a low curse and punched the wall.

"If only I could be," he said. "Albus knew that I was the one put on watch, I'd throw all rules out the window and reveal myself to Harry. Wise or not, he's an old coot."

Ron snorted.

"Yes. Well," Hermione smothered her immediate reaction to scold Sirius for insulting Professor Dumbledore that way. "That's pretty much all he knows about the Order."

"So how does this... Magicomm was it? How does it work?" asked Sirius, turning it around in his hands and observing it from all angles. "You said a house elf helped him out? Dobby? Wasn't he the one who got Harry in trouble for underage magic a few years ago?"

"Yeah. Dobby thought it was the only way to save him, keep him from going to Hogwarts. House elves. Mental, all of them," said Ron, missing the withering glare Hermione shot at him. "Anyway, we got to know that the only reason the Ministry figured out magic was performed back then was because Dobby made sure they could detect it."

"As for how it works," Hermione said, taking the Magicomm from Sirius. "See this knob on top here? This is to power it on. And if you rotate the one at the side, it connects to different channels. It's like how the Wizarding Wireless works, but you have to manually tune into the frequency you want rather than tapping your wand to do so."

"That's ingenious," said Sirius. "Reminds me of something James and I came up with. I still have mine, but I don't know where the pair is. Maybe I could check James' vault..."

"What is it?" Hermione enquired.

"You'll see when I find it," replied Sirius, shooting her a grin. "Now, can we call Harry or not?"

"No, actually. We can't," Hermione said.

"Yeah, mate. It's usually Harry who calls us. He doesn't want us to overuse the Magicomm for fear of frying the batr... batte..."

"Batteries," provided Hermione.

"Yeah that. He even has a holiday timetable now." Ron looked aghast at the thought.

"You should take a leaf out of his book, Ron. You haven't even started the summer assignments!" Hermione berated him.

"But school's months away, Hermione! There's loads of time to complete it. Unlike you, I like to relax during holiday time, especially after cleaning for bloody long hours," Ron shot back.

Sirius interjected before it could escalate into a full-blown argument, chuckling in amusement.

"As much as I'd love a good show right about now, I think we're getting off topic. So when can we speak to Harry?" he asked.

"When he calls us," Ron said, shrugging casually. "It's usually at night when the Muggles aren't around. We'll tell you the next time he does so you can be here. That's what Hermione and I had decided between us when we heard your argument with Dumbledore."

"Yeah. If there's anyone who needs to talk to Harry, it's you," Hermione quipped.

"I guess there's nothing to do but wait then," said Sirius, his thoughts turning towards his godson, wondering what changes he would find in the young man, and hoping that Harry would forgive him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Shout-out to anarion87 for leaving the first review on this fic! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this one. :)**

* * *

 **Privet Drive**

It was a sweltering summer day; the sun was beating down harder than ever, there wasn't even a _hint_ of a breeze, and the residents of Privet Drive had taken to staying indoors, fanning themselves and holding ice cubes to their faces. Harry had taken to alternating between studying in his room, and bouncing a ball of a wall in the shed while he ruminated over the events of last year, his progress in understanding magic, and the next steps he should take. Hedwig had returned in the morning with a letter from Professor McGonagall, and her response was frank, but encouraging. She had told him that if he was sure about this choice and would remain dedicated to catching up to his peers, she would put in a word with Professor Babbling and Professor Vector, and see if they'd be able to take him in for independent study. Of course, this would mean giving up the occasional break hours that came with being a fifth year, and balancing his Runes and Arithmancy work along with his OWL preparations for the other subjects.

"Suck it up, Potter. You wanted this. You can do this," he lectured himself as he tossed the ball one last time, and rose to make his way back to the house.

As had become a habit now, he covertly glanced around while he walked, looking for the telltale shimmer of his guard watching him. Weirdly enough, he could spot none. With a frown, he slowed down, shuffling his feet, trying to get a sense of magic. He was at the edge of the perimeter within which his guard would usually stand, and... nothing. With a shrug to himself, he trudged up the driveway to Number 4, and went up to his room.

The Dursleys were busy watching a reality show on the telly, and sipping on lemonade. Figuring they wouldn't move from their position for a while, Harry decided to give his friends a call.

"Ron, Hermione. Come in. You there?" he spoke into his magicomm. "Ron? Hermione?"

"Harry! How are you? Is everything alright?" came Hermione's frantic voice through the speaker.

"Hey Hermione, everything's fine, don't worry," Harry replied. "Is Ron with you?"

"No, he's downstairs. We weren't expecting you to call at this time."

"Yeah, sorry if I freaked you out. Things are kinda boring here and the Dursleys are staying out of my way, so I figured I'd talk to you guys now rather than waiting till nightfall."

"How's the studying going? Did you read up on anything new? I've found a really interesting book on human transfiguration here that you should go through as well. It talks about wandless self transfiguration and even the steps to become an Animagus!" said Hermione, excitedly.

"I'll be sure to borrow it from you for a while," replied Harry, smiling as he thought of the beaming face of his friend and her overflowing enthusiasm when it came to learning something new. "Animagus training is definitely something I'd be up for. Maybe Padfoot would be willing to give us some tips."

"Speaking of Padfoot... Harry, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it? Is it the Ministry? Is he in trouble?"

"No, nothing like that, calm down. He's still on the Ministry's Wanted List, but they aren't searching too aggressively, and there hasn't been much in the Prophet about him," said Hermione. "It's just... Harry, we decided to... I mean, Ron and I... we told Sirius about the Magicomm."

Harry fell silent, trying to process this new revelation.

"Harry? Harry, are you still there?"

"Yeah, Hermione, sorry. I was just thinking."

"I'm sorry, Harry, I know you wanted this to be a secret. But Sirius won't tell anyone, he's sworn to secrecy, and he's really looking forward to talking to you as well."

"I... You're sure he won't tell anyone? Dumbledore? It's bad enough that the twins found out. But... I do want to talk to him," said Harry, a surge of emotion building up in his chest at the thought of hearing his godfather's voice again.

"Do you want me to get him, Harry? I know he's really eager to speak to you. He's been trying not to let it show, but staying cooped up in here has been... difficult for him," said Hermione, softly.

"Poor Sirius," Harry muttered. "I think... Yes. Call him please."

"Alright, give me a minute."

Harry settled himself on his bed, rubbing his palms together as a sudden jolt of nervousness and excitement struck him. It was one thing to talk to his best friends, and another to let an adult in on his secret. Especially behind Dumbledore's back.

"Harry? You there?" He heard Hermione's voice through his Magicomm again.

"Still here, Hermione. Is Sirius with you?"

"I'm here, Pup," came Sirius' voice from the handset. "I must say, this is an ingenious idea. This was a Muggle thing first, you say?"

"Yeah, a walkie-talkie. I'm quite surprised it's lasted this long," replied Harry. "House-elf magic really is something."

"It's a pity that wizards and witches don't realise how much we can learn from house elves. I mean, think about everything they can do! Did you know that the first -"

"Uhh, Hermione. Could we have this discussion a different time?" Sirius interjected.

"Umm. Yeah. Sorry... I'll just... leave you two alone... for a bit. Talk to you later, Harry."

"She's gone now," said Sirius, a few seconds later. "Merlin, I love that girl, but sometimes she can be a bit much."

Harry laughed fondly. "That's Hermione for you. How are you doing, Sirius? I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the Magicomms before."

"Don't worry about it, Pup. I should be the one apologising to you for not coming to visit or sending you proper letters." He sighed. "Truth is, Dumbledore's got some pretty tight security protocols going on. I don't understand what he's playing at."

"Why... what's going on, Sirius? Why am I trapped here? When can I see you again?"

Sirius sighed.

"I'm not sure, Harry. I tried coming to your aunt and uncle's place a few times, but it seems like Dumbledore has raised some additional wards which are keyed to allow only those he allows within the perimeter. The last time I tried to enter, I was thrown back and my eyebrows got singed."

"But... He can't do that, can he? You're my bloody _godfather."_

Sirius let out an audible sigh over the Magicomm, as he rubbed his eyes wearily and thought about all the times he had had this conversation with Albus.

"You might want to sit down for this, Harry," he said. "I've been keeping this under wraps for a while because I wanted it to go through before I told you... I've been trying to get official guardianship over you for a while now. But the Department of Family Affairs has been delaying approval on my application."

"You... why? Why would they stop you?"

"Dumbledore," Sirius growled. "He's been spreading the rumour that I'm not mentally fit to take care of a teenager yet because of my time in Azkaban. He even convinced the Ministry to provide me with a Mind Healer as compensation for wrongfully imprisoning me."

"How could he do that? And... can't the Mind Healer just... I dunno, sign off and deem you fit so we can go ahead with this?"

"It's not that simple, Pup. The Mind Healer _has_ told me that there's nothing too cracked up in this head of mine. Just a few lingering dark thoughts which pop up now and then. If it was anyone else, it wouldn't have been an issue. But not everyone applies for the guardianship of the Boy-Who-Lived," Sirius explained. "Dumbledore doesn't want you to leave that place just yet. He believes that there's no other place safer for you at the moment and wants to make sure you're protected for as long as possible. I may not agree, but there's not much you can do once Dumbledore decides to make life difficult."

"He sounds... I dunno. Like an evil good person."

Sirius let out a booming laugh.

"That's Dumbledore for you. He has some sort of master plan that no one else knows about. Or maybe he just wants everyone to believe he has a plan when he doesn't actually have one. Who the hell knows anyway?!"

Harry sniggered along with him, even as his stomach did a little tumble as he realised he wouldn't be able to see his godfather any time soon.

"Is there anything else we can do, Sirius? Maybe I could speak to the Ministry and tell them I want to stay with you?"

"I'd rather not involve you in this battle yet, Harry. Not when the Ministry is already against you, and you have enough to deal with. Let me handle this on my own for now, alright? I'm reaching out to a few people I know and trying to find a way around this whole thing without Dumbledore knowing."

"Okay Sirius. But you'll let me know if there's something... _anything_ I can do?"

"Of course, Pup. Now let's move on from this gloomy topic. What have you been up to? Pranked your cousin lately?

"I wish. But no. I've been making the most of the time I get without any of the Dursleys breathing down my neck. It's been pretty exciting learning magic on my own, but I wish I could practice the actual spells to see if I've got them right."

"Can't help you out there. The Ministry's always been pretty cutthroat about underage magic. Maybe you could've gotten away with a spell here and there if they held you in high regard, but with the kind of uncertain stance they're holding with you right now, probably not a good idea."

"Yeah, I know. I guess I just have to wait till September then," said Harry, knowing it was a lost cause anyway. "Hey Sirius, I almost forgot. Did something happen to make the Order call the guard off me?"

"Not as far as I know. Why do you ask?"

Harry shrugged, bedore realising that Sirius couldn't see him and feeling foolish for doing that in the first place.

"I'm not sure..." he told Sirius, hesitantly. "It's probably nothing, but... Did Hermione or Ron tell you how I figured out there was someone watching me?"

"Hmm... Now that I think of it, they didn't really get into the details."

"Well, it was a collection of things. I kept spotting shimmers which were too... solid... and too constant to be from the heat. And then there was the sound of a car backfiring one night but the street was deserted. What final made me certain though, was that I could sense the magic when I went near the shimmery patch. It was kind of like... a thrum. Sort of like electricity jolting all over my skin. And I just knew, if that makes sense."

"Wow. You are a thorough one. And you're sure there wasn't anyone around today?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. And as much as I'm glad that there's no one watching me, I can't help but worrying about where they are or if something happened to them."

"Don't worry, Pup, I'll look into it. Now tell me, what in Merlin's name is eclecricity?"

* * *

"Dementors? In Little Whinging? Curse you, Dung," muttered Nymphadora Tonks under her breath as she drew her wand.

She hastily sent a quick message Patronus to Arabella Figg, the squib who lived down the lane from Harry's house.

"Contact the Order NOW. Dementors at Little Whinging."

Not bothering to cast the Disillusionment Charm on herself, she ran towards the hooded figures, trying to ignore the cold that crept its way into her bones as her breath came out in little fogs. There were two youngsters running from the dementors, one raven-haired skinny chap whom she recognized as Harry, and a lump of a boy who was none other that Dudley Dursley, Harry's cousin.

"Fuck. A muggle," she cursed. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

As her Patronus shot out towards the dreaded creatures from Azkaban, she waved at the two boys to come her way.

"Over here, Harry! Come on now, quickly!"

Harry abandoned his efforts to produce a corporeal patronus and lugged Dudley down the street towards the witch who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Took you long enough," he told her, gasping under the weight of his cousin.

"Go. I'll hold them off. Backup is on its way," said Tonks, doubling her efforts to fight the Dementors. "GO!"

Figuring she could hold her own, and knowing he couldn't do anything while doubled over with Dudley's weight, Harry made his way towards his aunt and uncle's house, just as the alleyway was filled with the sound of light _pops_ and two more wizards arrived on the scene.

"Expecto Patronum!" they all yelled, filling the air with the dazzling light of their Patronuses and driving away the foul creatures.

Harry collapsed on the sidewalk as he realised the danger had passed and waited for the group to approach him.

"All right there, Harry?" came a familiar voice, and he looked up to see the tired and scarred face of none other than Remus Lupin.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry exclaimed. "Dudley... he... he was almost kissed. That... the purple-haired witch... she came just time time. Help him please."

"Relax, Harry, he's going to be fine," said Remus, soothingly, as he cast a diagnostic charm over Dudley and pulled out a bar of chocolate from the inner pocket of his robes. "Here, eat this."

Harry immediately took a bite of the Honeydukes slab, feeling the warmth spread through his body, rejuvenating his senses. The cold had lifted from the air and the heat was back at its fullest.

"Is Dudley okay?" he asked his former Professor.

"He just seems to have fainted. I'm reviving him now," replied Lupin, casting a spell on Dudley.

Harry's cousin opened his eyes and looked around in horror, shivering as he recollected the feeling that had crept into his body.

"You!" he sputtered, looking at his cousin. "What did you do to me? I'll kill you for this."

He got up in anger, only to teeter back and land on his buttocks from the loss of energy.

"Mister Dursley, please calm down. This wasn't Harry's fault," said Lupin, laying a hand on Dudley's arm.

"You... you're one of _them..._ a... a _freak._ You... you did this to me!"

"Mr. Dursley, I urge you to relax. Your body is weak because it came into contact with the effect of Dementors. Tell me, did you feel a sense of cold, misery... like you'd never be happy again?"

"Yeah... it was _him,"_ said Dudley vehemently, pointing a stubby finger at his cousin. "He... he pointed that thing... that _wand..._ at me. And..." he shuddered.

"That wasn't Harry. Believe it or not, your cousin was trying to protect you from one of the most terrible creatures known to wizardkind," explained Lupin, in a tone that's used to soothe agitated animals. "Here, eat this piece of chocolate. It'll help."

Dudley's beady eyes looked at the chocolate with greed. He hesitated, but his love for sweets prevailed, and he snatched it from Lupin's fingers.

"This is good chocolate," he said with his mouth full. "What were those... those Dementy thingies? I couldn't see anything..."

"They're the guards of the wizarding prison, Azkaban," Harry told him. "They weren't supposed to be here. Why were they here? Was it... _him?_ " he looked sharply at Lupin.

"It's possible," replied Lupin, as the purple-haired witch and the dark-skinned wizard who had appeared approached the little group. "We'll be looking into this, that's for certain."

"Wotcher, kid. You sure seem to get into a lot of trouble, don't you?" said the witch, laughing. "I'm Tonks and this is Kingsley Shacklebolt. We're both Aurors from the Ministry."

"It's very nice to meet you Mr. Potter," greeted Kingsley in a deep, warm baritone. "Although, I'd hoped it'd be in better circumstances."

"Thanks for getting here so quickly," said Harry, shaking his hand.

"Aye, we wouldn't have to be here if it weren't for that menace, Dung," muttered Tonks, her hair flaming into a tone of red.

Harry looked at her in wonder, his cousin gaping at them next to him.

"Your hair... How did you do that?" Harry asked.

"Oh... I'm a metamorphmagus. It means I can change my appearance at will. But sometimes, my emotions get the better of me and things like this just happen," said Tonks, grinning. "Anyway, Kingsley and I better be off. Remus will walk you to your house. See you soon, Harry!"

"Bye," Harry replied, standing up as the Aurors vanished.

"Come on then, Dudley, Harry. Let's get you home," said Lupin, helping up the blumbering Muggle. "Harry, did you cast any spells?"

"I tried to... but I couldn't manage anything more than wisps of smoke. That's when you appeared."

"Hmm... I don't think that would have registered as underage magic since your spell failed. Close call there, Harry."

"Uh, Professor Lupin - "

"Call me Remus, please. Or Moony. I stopped being your Professor years ago."

"Okay then... Remus... I'm guessing you and the others are part of the..." Harry glanced around furtively, making sure there wasn't around, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Part of the Order?"

"How do you know about that?" Remus asked him with a pointed look.

"Er..." Harry shuffled his feet sheepishly. "I have my ways?"

"Harry, I promise I'll keep this between us. Believe me, Padfoot and I have always been for you knowing what's going on."

"I... figured out a way of contacting my friends," muttered Harry, casting sideways glances at his cousin who had been silent for the most part. "Don't worry. It's not trackable and I doubt it'll last much longer."

Remus gave him an amused look.

"Just like your father," he said, shaking his head. "And a lot like Lily as well. She wouldn't have liked being kept in the dark either."

Harry gave a soft smile.

"I'll want a complete explanation later alright?"

"Sure Remus. Umm... Padfoot knows, by the way."

"That dog knows and he didn't mention it to me?" Remus gasped dramatically. "How could you?"

"I told him to keep it a secret," replied Harry, sheepishly.

"Well that explains a lot. He was the one who asked Tonks to check up on you," said Remus. "We initially thought he was just being paranoid but once we realised it was Dung's turn to be on duty, we figured it was better to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Tonks... is that her actual name? And _dung?_ You're kidding right?"

"It's actually Nymphadora Tonks, but don't call her by her first name, she hates it," Remus replied, shaking his head in amusement. "And Dung is Mundungus Fletcher. I'll tell you all about them and the rest later."

Dudley finally broke his silence as they reached the driveway of his house. "Muuuuum. Daaaad."

He ran up to the front door as fast as his stout legs could carry him and banged on the door.

"What is Dudders?" came Petunia's high-pitched voice as she opened the door.

Dudley hugged her tight and started sobbing.

"The... the _freak._ He..."

"Hello Petunia," interjected Remus, smoothly.

"You," she gasped, recognising her sister's old friend. "What are _you_ doing here? And what did you do to my dear Duddykins?"

"Maybe it's best if we move this conversation indoors. Wouldn't want the neighbours to overhear, would we?" asked Remus, with a pointed look.

Petunia cast a sharp eye around the neighbourhood and relented, shooing them inside and hastily shutting the main door.

"Pet? Who is it? Is that Dudley I heard?" came the lumbering voice of Vernon Dursley from inside the living room.

"Vernon... We have a visitor," replied Petunia, casting Lupin a dirty look.

Vernon Dursley had just about managed to get out of his seat when the group entered the room.

"Mr. Dursley - " Lupin began, his arm outstretched for a handshake.

"What is one of your lot doing in here," Vernon interrupted, squinting at Harry, his face slowly turning purple. "I will not have it anymore, boy!"

"Mr. Dursley, my name is Remus Lupin and I think you should lower your voice seeing as Harry just helped save your son's life," Remus interjected, in a low but dangerous tone.

Vernon gaped at him, his eyes bulging in anger, and then turning to look at his wife and son in horror.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, BOY!" he yelled out, lunging to grab Harry by his collar, only to be thrown back with a silent, unseen force.

"Vernon!" Petunia shrieked, throwing herself at him, and dabbing his forehead with her handkerchief as he groaned and hefted himself onto the couch.

Lupin seated himself on the couch and waited patiently for them to complete their theatrics.

"Now, if we're all settled, I suppose you'd like to know what happened to your son?"

Harry sat next to Lupin without saying a word, inwardly surprised by this new side of Lupin that had taken control of the situation, while simultaneously overcome with emotion by the way his father's friend had stood up for him. Until Sirius had come into his life, he hadn't had anyone fight for him, and now having Remus as well as his godfather do so... he had to fight himself very hard to maintain a straight face.

"Dudley... Oh..." Petunia whispered, straightening up and clutching her son. "What happened?" she asked frantically, running her hands over his now, healthily flushed face.

"Cold..." he mumbled. "That man - " he pointed at Lupin - "he said there were some Dementy thingies... but, I couldn't see them... I only saw _him -"_ his pudgy finger moved to Harry - "take out his... w..wa... stick."

Petunia had a faraway look in her eyes, her expression one of fear as the mouthed the word _Dementor_ silently, before turning to look at Lupin.

"Pet..." Vernon muttered. "What..."

"Why were those... those _things_... in Little Whinging?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper.

"We're not sure," replied Lupin, steadily. "But we're looking into it. The fact remains that they showed up and decided to go after your nephew and your son. Harry here held them off until I, and some others, arrived to drive them away. Look at your son now, Mrs. Dursley. If we hadn't arrived on time, he would be clammy and unaware of his surroundings, not standing up without effort as he is now."

Petunia remained silent, save for a sharp look at Vernon when he opened his mouth to yell again, only to have his snap it shut and wait for her to speak.

"Well... if it weren't for him," she said slowly, her voice quivering, her eyes rising to dart between Lupin and Harry. "If it weren't for the boy, those Dementors wouldn't have been here in the first place."

Harry's fingers grew numb as a chill rose up his chest. She was right. They were only in danger because of him, because he stayed with these people who wanted nothing to do with the magical world. There wasn't another wizard around for miles, not that he knew of anyway, and Voldemort was after him, not anyone else.

Before anyone could speak another word, there was a flash of a flame and a red letter appeared, floating in the air until it burned itself.

"Remember my last, Petunia," a booming voice filled the air, reverberating in the silence. Petunia had turned pale, and look sickened,

Another flash of fire appeared and a note floated in front of Lupin.

"Well then, looks like Harry will be off your hands for the remainder of the summer at least," he said, after reading it. "That should give you enough time to recover from today's unfortunate incident and reevaluate your priorities."

"Now, see here," began Mr. Dursley.

"Vernon, hush," Petunia interrupted him. "You," she barked at Harry. "Go upstairs and pack your things."

She gave Remus a final, firm nod, and walked into the kitchen to busy herself with preparing lunch. Vernon and Dudley gaped after her as Remus sat there nonchalantly, whistling a tune.

Harry hurried upstairs, not believing his luck at finally getting out of here, and started throwing his things into his trunk. He coaxed Hedwig into her cage, fed her some treats, and looked around his little room once more.

"Well, until next summer then," he muttered under his breath and walked back to where Lupin was waiting for him. His Magicomm was safely packed in his trunk along with his books and notes on magical theory, his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map snug in the inner pocket of his cloak, and his wand up his sleeve.

"I'm ready to go, Sir," he told Lupin.

"Okay then. Vernon, Dudley... until we meet again," said Remus, and briskly walked out the door.

Harry looked at his uncle and cousin. His aunt hadn't come out of the kitchen again and he wasn't going to go after her to bid her farewell. Not after that letter that she received.

"Take care, Dudley," he finally muttered, and turned to follow Lupin into whatever the rest of the holidays was going to bring.


End file.
